Method of fabricating a lateral double-diffused MOSFET (LDMOS) transistor and a conventional CMOS transistor

ABSTRACT

A method of fabricating an LDMOS transistor and a conventional CMOS transistor together on a substrate. A P-body is implanted into a source region of the LDMOS transistor. A gate oxide for the conventional CMOS transistor is formed after implanting the P-body into the source region of the LDMOS transistor. A fixed thermal cycle associated with forming the gate oxide of the conventional CMOS transistor is not substantially affected by the implanting of the P-body into the source region of the LDMOS transistor.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional (and claims the benefit of priorityunder 35 USC 120) of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/714,271, filed Nov.13, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,856. The disclosure of the priorapplication is considered part of (and is incorporated by reference in)the disclosure of this application.

BACKGROUND

The following disclosure relates to semiconductor devices, and moreparticularly to a lateral double-diffused MOSFET (LDMOS) transistor.

Voltage regulators, such as DC to DC converters, are used to providestable voltage sources for electronic systems. Efficient DC to DCconverters are particularly needed for battery management in low powerdevices, such as laptop notebooks and cellular phones. Switching voltageregulators (or simply “switching regulators”) are known to be anefficient type of DC to DC converter. A switching regulator generates anoutput voltage by converting an input DC voltage into a high frequencyvoltage, and filtering the high frequency input voltage to generate theoutput DC voltage. Specifically, the switching regulator includes aswitch for alternately coupling and decoupling an input DC voltagesource, such as a battery, to a load, such as an integrated circuit. Anoutput filter, typically including an inductor and a capacitor, iscoupled between the input voltage source and the load to filter theoutput of the switch and thus provide the output DC voltage. Acontroller, such as a pulse width modulator or a pulse frequencymodulator, controls the switch to maintain a substantially constantoutput DC voltage.

LDMOS transistors are commonly used in switching regulators as a resultof their performance in terms of a tradeoff between their specificon-resistance (R_(dson)) and drain-to-source breakdown voltage (BV_(d)_(—) _(s)) Conventional LDMOS transistors are typically fabricatedhaving optimized device performance characteristics through a complexprocess, such as a Bipolar-CMOS (BiCMOS) process or a Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS(BCD) process, that includes one or more process steps that are notcompatible with sub-micron CMOS processes typically used by foundriesspecializing in production of large volumes of digital CMOS devices

A typical sub-micron CMOS process used by foundries specializing inproduction of large volumes of digital CMOS devices, referred to hereinas sub-micron CMOS process, will now be described. A sub-micron CMOSprocess is generally used to fabricate sub-micron CMOS transistors—i.e.,PMOS transistors and/or NMOS transistors having a channel length that isless than 1 μm. FIG. 1 shows a PMOS transistor 100 and an NMOStransistor 102 fabricated through a sub-micron CMOS process on a p-typesubstrate 104. The PMOS transistor 100 is implemented in a CMOS n-well106. The PMOS transistor 100 includes a source region 108 and a drainregion 110 having p-doped p+ regions 112 and 114, respectively. The PMOStransistor 100 further includes a gate 116 formed of a gate oxide 118and a polysilicon layer 120. The NMOS transistor 102 is implemented in aCMOS p-well 122. The NMOS transistor 102 includes a source region 124and a drain region 126 having n-doped n+ regions 128 and 130,respectively. The NMOS transistor 102 further includes a gate 132 formedof a gate oxide 134 and a polysilicon layer 136.

FIG. 2 illustrates a sub-micron CMOS process 200 that can be used tofabricate large volumes of sub-micron CMOS transistors (such as the CMOStransistors shown in FIG. 1). The process 200 begins with forming asubstrate (step 202). The substrate can be a p-type substrate or ann-type substrate. Referring to FIG. 1, the CMOS transistors arefabricated on a p-type substrate 104. A CMOS n-well 106 for the PMOStransistor and a CMOS p-well 122 for the NMOS transistor are implantedinto the substrate (step 204). The gate oxide 118, 134 of each CMOStransistor is formed, and a CMOS channel adjustment implant to controlthreshold voltages of each CMOS transistor is performed (step 206). Apolysilicon layer 120, 136 is deposited over the gate oxide 118, 134,respectively (step 208). The p+ regions of the PMOS transistor and then+ regions of the NMOS transistor are implanted (step 210). The p+regions 112, 114 and n+ regions 128, 130 are highly doped, and providelow-resistivity ohmic contacts. In a sub-micron CMOS process, formationof an n+ region typically occurs through a three-step process in asingle masking and photolithography step as follows: 1) a lightly dopedn-type impurity region is implanted, 2) an oxide spacer is formed, and3) a heavily doped n+ impurity region is implanted. Formation of a p+region occurs in a similar manner. The formation such n+ and p+ regionsallow transistors to have an improved hot carrier performance.

Foundries specializing in production of large volumes of digital CMOSdevices generally have fixed parameters associated with the foundries'sub-micron CMOS process. These fixed parameters are typically optimizedfor the mass production of digital sub-micron CMOS transistors. Forexample, in process step 206, the CMOS channel adjustment implantgenerally has an associated thermal budget that is typically fixed, andhas parameters optimized for mass production of sub-micron CMOStransistors.

As discussed above, conventional LDMOS transistors typically achieveoptimized device performance through a complex process, such as a BiCMOSprocess or a BCD process, that includes one or more process steps thatare not compatible with a sub-micron CMOS process optimized for the massproduction of digital sub-micron CMOS transistors.

FIG. 3A shows a conventional LDMOS transistor 300 fabricated through aBiCMOS process on a p-type substrate 302. The LDMOS transistor 300includes source region 304 with an n-doped n+ region 306, a p-doped p+region 308, and a p-doped P-body diffusion (P-body) 310. The LDMOStransistor 300 also includes a drain region 312 with an n-doped n+region 314 and an n-type well (HV n-well) 316, and a gate 318, includinga gate oxide 320 and a polysilicon layer 322.

In the BiCMOS process, the gate oxide 320, and gate oxide of any CMOStransistors fabricated in the BiCMOS process, is formed prior toimplantation of the n+ region 306 and the P-body 310. The BiCMOSprocess, therefore, allows the gate 318 to serve as a mask duringimplantation of the n+ region 306 and the P-body 310—i.e., the n+ region306 and the P-body 310 are self aligned with respect to the gate 318.The self aligned lateral double diffusion of the n+ region 306 and theP-body 310 forms the channel of the LDMOS transistor 300.

Such kinds of self aligned double diffusions are not easily integratedinto a sub-micron CMOS process because the subsequent drive-in step (orthermal budget) associated with self aligned double diffusions disruptsthe fixed thermal budget associated with sub-micron CMOS process steps(e.g., process step 206) and requires a redesign of the thermal budgetallocated to the sub-micron CMOS process steps. That is, the selfaligned double diffusions generally includes a drive-in step with a longduration and a high temperature that can cause the characteristics ofsub-micron CMOS transistors (e.g., threshold voltages) to shift.

The lateral doping profile in region (a) of the LDMOS transistor 300controls the tradeoff between the on-resistance R_(dson) and thedrain-to-source breakdown voltage BV_(d) _(—) _(s). The vertical dopingprofile in region (b) determines the drain-to-substrate breakdownvoltage BV_(d) _(—) _(sub) of the LDMOS transistor, and the pinch-offdoping profile in region (c) determines the source-to-substratepunch-through breakdown voltage BV_(s) _(—) _(sub) of the LDMOStransistor. The source-to-substrate punch-through breakdown voltageBV_(s) _(—) _(sub) is an important parameter for an LDMOS transistorwith a floating operation requirement, e.g, an LDMOS transistorimplemented as a high-side control switch in a synchronous buck circuitconfiguration.

FIG. 3B shows a conventional LDMOS transistor 330 fabricated through aBCD process on a p-type substrate 332. The LDMOS transistor 330 includessource region 334 with an n-doped n+ region 336, a p-doped p+ region338, and a p-doped P-body 340. The LDMOS transistor 330 also includes adrain region 342 with an n-doped n+ region 344 and an n-type layer (HVn-Epi) 346, and a gate 348, including a gate oxide 350 and a polysiliconlayer 352. As with the BiCMOS process, in the BCD process, the gateoxide 350, and gate oxide of any CMOS transistors fabricated in the BCDprocess, is formed prior to implantation of the n+ region 336 and theP-body 340.

In the BCD process, an n+ buried layer 354 can be grown on the p-typesubstrate 332 to improve the source-to-substrate punch-through breakdowncharacteristics of the LDMOS transistor. Such an approach offers animproved tradeoff between the on-resistance R_(dson) and drain-to-sourcebreakdown voltage BV_(d) _(—) _(s) of the LDMOS transistor as thelateral doping profile of the LDMOS transistor can be optimized withoutconstrain on the vertical doping profiles. However, such a BCD processincludes the growth of the HV n− Epi layer 346, and this step isgenerally not compatible with a sub-micron CMOS process.

Another approach used in a BCD process is to utilize an n− layer 360implanted in the drain region 362 of the LDMOS transistor 364 as shownin FIG. 3C. The n− layer 360, n+ region 366, and P-body 368 are selfaligned with respect to the gate 370—i.e., the n− layer 360, n+ region366, and P-body 368 are implanted after formation of gate oxide 372. Theinclusion of the n− layer 360 provides an additional parameter tofurther optimize the tradeoff between the on-resistance R_(dson) anddrain-to-source breakdown voltage BV_(d) _(—) _(s) of the LDMOStransistor. Similar to the n+ buried layer approach of FIG. 3B, theinclusion of the n− layer 360 at the surface provides a method todecouple vertical and horizontal doping constraints.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, this specification describes a method for fabricating anLDMOS transistor and a conventional CMOS transistor together on asubstrate. A first impurity region is implanted into a surface of thesubstrate. The first impurity region has a first volume and a firstsurface area, and is of a first type. A second impurity region isimplanted into a surface of the substrate. A gate oxide for a gate ofthe LDMOS transistor is formed between a source region and a drainregion of the LDMOS transistor. The LDMOS gate oxide is covered with aconductive material. A third impurity region is implanted into thesource region of the LDMOS transistor. The third impurity region has asecond volume and a second surface area in the first surface area of thefirst impurity region, and is of an opposite second type relative to thefirst type. The third impurity region is self aligned with respect tothe gate of the LDMOS transistor. A gate oxide for a gate of theconventional CMOS transistor is formed between a source region and adrain region of the conventional CMOS transistor. The gate oxide of theconventional CMOS transistor is formed after implantation of the thirdimpurity region. The gate oxide of the conventional CMOS transistor iscovered with a conductive material. A fourth impurity region with athird volume and a third surface area and a fifth impurity region with afourth volume and a fourth surface area are implanted into the sourceregion of the LDMOS transistor. The fourth impurity region is of thefirst type and the fifth impurity region is of the opposite second type.A sixth impurity region with a fifth volume and a fifth surface area isimplanted into the drain region of the LDMOS transistor. The sixthimpurity region is of the first type. A seventh impurity region isimplanted into a source region of the conventional CMOS transistor andan eighth impurity region is implanted into a drain region of theconventional CMOS transistor.

Implementations may include one or more of the following features. Thefourth and sixth impurity regions can be implanted at a same time usinga same mask. The fifth, seventh, and eighth impurity regions can beimplanted at a same time using a same mask. The fourth, fifth, sixth,seventh, and eighth impurity regions can be ohmic contacts. A ninthimpurity region can be implanted into the drain region of the LDMOStransistor. The ninth impurity region can have an eighth volume and aneighth surface area in the first surface area of the first impurityregion. The ninth impurity region can be implanted with a spacing fromthe third impurity region, and be of the first type. The ninth impurityregion can be self aligned to the gate of the LDMOS transistor and beimplanted after forming the gate of the LDMOS transistor. The ninthimpurity region can be non-self aligned to the gate of the LDMOStransistor and be implanted prior to forming of the gate of the LDMOStransistor. The spacing of the third impurity region from the ninthimpurity region can be sized such that the ninth impurity region isspaced a distance (d) away from the gate of the LDMOS transistor asmeasured along a surface of the LDMOS transistor. The first impurityregion and the ninth impurity region can be implanted using a same mask.Implantation of the ninth impurity region can be defined by a slit masksuch that the ninth impurity region forms multiple implants spaced apartrelative to each other along a surface in the drain region of the LDMOStransistor. Implanting the third impurity region can includes implantingthe third impurity region using a first implant and a second implant.The first implant can be a high energy implant. The first implant canalso be a large angle tilt implant. A tenth impurity region with a ninthvolume having a ninth surface are can be implanted into the sourceregion of the LDMOS transistor, and an eleventh impurity region with atenth volume having a tenth surface area can be implanted into the drainregion of the LDMOS transistor. A field oxide can be formed on the drainregion of the LDMOS transistor. The conventional CMOS transistor can bea conventional PMOS transistor or a conventional NMOS transistor.

In another aspect, this specification describes a method of fabricatingan LDMOS transistor and a conventional CMOS transistor together on asubstrate. A P-body is implanted into a source region of the LDMOStransistor. A gate oxide for the conventional CMOS transistor is formedafter implanting the P-body into the source region of the LDMOStransistor. A fixed thermal cycle associated with forming the gate oxideof the conventional CMOS transistor is not substantially affected by theimplanting of the P-body into the source region of the LDMOS transistor.Implementations may include one or more of the following features. Theconventional CMOS transistor can be a conventional PMOS transistor or aconventional NMOS transistor.

In another aspect, this specification describes another method offabricating an LDMOS transistor and a conventional CMOS transistortogether on a substrate. A gate for the LDMOS transistor is formed,including forming an LDMOS gate oxide and covering the LDMOS gate oxidewith a conductive material. A P-body is implanted into a source regionof the LDMOS transistor. The P-body is self aligned with respect to thegate of the LDMOS transistor. A gate for the conventional CMOStransistor is formed, including forming a gate oxide of the CMOStransistor and covering the gate oxide of the CMOS transistor with aconductive material. The gate of the CMOS transistor is formed distinctfrom the gate of the LDMOS transistor. Implementations can include thefollowing. A thickness of the LDMOS gate oxide can be a similarthickness, or greater than, a thickness of the conventional CMOS gateoxide.

Advantages of the invention may include the following. The method offabricating a transistor having a double-diffused source region iscompatible with mainstream sub-micron CMOS fabrication processtechnologies offered by foundries specializing in mass volume production(e.g., foundries specializing in mass production of digital sub-micronCMOS devices). That is, foundries specializing in mass production ofsub-micron CMOS technologies do not have to disrupt (or change) fixedCMOS process parameters that have been optimized for the production ofmass volumes the digital sub-micron CMOS devices. Production ofconventional LDMOS transistors can, therefore, be seamlessly integratedinto sub-micron CMOS production technologies. The LDMOS transistor canbe fabricated in a process that is compatible with a sub-micron CMOSprocess, using a lower mask count than conventional BiCMOS and BCDprocesses. Integrated circuits including LDMOS transistors, e.g., aswitching regulator, can be monolithically integrated onto a single chipusing a sub-micron CMOS process. An input voltage source to a switchingregulator having one or more LDMOS transistors can be optimized fordifferent applications, and the fabrication process for the LDMOStransistors can be adjusted accordingly.

The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth inthe accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features andadvantages of the invention will be apparent from the description anddrawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional PMOStransistor and NMOS transistor formed on a p-type substrate.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a conventional sub-micron CMOSprocess for manufacturing CMOS transistors.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are schematic cross-sectional views of conventionalLDMOS transistors.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a buck switching regulator.

FIGS. 5A-5B are a schematic cross-sectional view of an LDMOS transistorand a three-dimensional view of the surface area of the LDMOS transistorsource and drain regions, respectively.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for manufacturing asemiconductor transistor, including an LDMOS transistor, that iscompatible with a sub-micron CMOS process.

FIGS. 7A-7H illustrate the process of manufacturing an LDMOS transistor,a PMOS transistor, and an NMOS transistor according to the process ofFIG. 6.

FIGS. 8A-8C illustrate a P-body implant step of the process of FIG. 6according to one implementation.

FIG. 9 illustrates a shallow drain implant according to oneimplementation.

FIGS. 10A-10B shows a graph of current conductance as a function ofvoltage difference between the drain and source of a PMOS transistorimplemented in an HV n-well and a conventional CMOS n-well,respectively.

FIGS. 11A-11B shows a graph of current conductance as a function ofvoltage difference between the drain and source of an NMOS transistorimplemented in a P-body implant and a conventional NMOS transistorimplemented in a CMOS p-well, respectively.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating an alternative process formanufacturing a semiconductor transistor including an LDMOS transistoraccording to a process that is compatible with a sub-micron CMOSprocess.

FIGS. 13A-13H illustrate the process of manufacturing an LDMOStransistor according to the process of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an LDMOS transistorhaving a CMOS n-well implant.

FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an LDMOS transistorhaving a CMOS n-well implant as a shallow drain.

FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an LDMOS transistorhaving a DDD implant as a shallow drain.

FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an LDMOS transistorhaving an LDD diffused into source and drains regions of the transistor.

FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an LDMOS transistorhaving a graded shallow drain implant.

FIG. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a p-type LDMOStransistor.

FIG. 20 shows a graph of current conductance as a function of voltagedifference between the drain and source of a p-type LDMOS transistor.

FIG. 21 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a switching circuitincluding a switching circuit having a high-side LDMOS transistor and alow-side LDMOS transistor.

FIG. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a NPN transistor.

FIG. 23 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for manufacturing theNPN transistor of FIG. 22.

FIG. 24 shows a graph of current conductance as a function of voltage ofthe NPN transistor of FIG. 22.

FIGS. 25A and 25B are a schematic cross-sectional view of animplementation of high-side drive (HSD) circuits with CMOS logic and acircuit diagram of the HSD circuits with CMOS logic, respectively.

FIGS. 26A and 26B show a graph of conductance of the CMOS transistors ofFIGS. 25A and 25B.

FIG. 27 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a LDMOS transistor withLOCOS on the drain region of the transistor.

FIG. 28 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for implanting a P-bodyof an LDMOS transistor.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a switching regulator 400 including anLDMOS transistor according to one implementation. Conventional LDMOStransistors typically achieve optimized device performance through acomplex process, such as a BiCMOS process or a BCD process, thatincludes one or more process steps not compatible with a sub-micron CMOSprocess optimized for the mass production of digital sub-micron CMOStransistors. According to one aspect, an LDMOS transistor is providedthat can be fabricated through a process that can be seamlesslyintegrated into a typical sub-micron CMOS process.

Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary switching regulator 400 is coupled toa first high DC input voltage source 402, such as a battery, by an inputterminal 404. The switching regulator 400 is also coupled to a load 406,such as an integrated circuit, by an output terminal 408. The switchingregulator 400 serves as a DC-to-DC converter between the input terminal404 and the output terminal 408. The switching regulator 400 includes aswitching circuit 410 which serves as a power switch for alternatelycoupling and decoupling the input terminal 404 to an intermediateterminal 412. The switching circuit 410 includes a rectifier, such as aswitch or diode, coupling the intermediate terminal 412 to ground.Specifically, the switching circuit 410 may include a first transistor414 having a source connected to the input terminal 404 and a drainconnected to the intermediate terminal 412 and a second transistor 416having a source connected to ground and a drain connected to theintermediate terminal 412. The first transistor 414 may be aPositive-Channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor (PMOS) transistor, whereasthe second transistor 416 may be an LDMOS transistor.

The intermediate terminal 412 is coupled to the output terminal 408 byan output filter 418. The output filter 418 converts the rectangularwaveform of the intermediate voltage at the intermediate terminal 412into a substantially DC output voltage at the output terminal 408.Specifically, in a buck-converter topology, the output filter 418includes an inductor 420 connected between the intermediate terminal 412and the output terminal 408 and a capacitor 422 connected in parallelwith the load 406. During a PMOS conduction period, the first transistoris closed, and the voltage source 402 supplies energy to the load 406and the inductor 420 through the first transistor 414. On the otherhand, during an LDMOS transistor conduction period, the secondtransistor 416 is closed, and current flows through the secondtransistor 416 as energy is supplied by the inductor 420. The resultingoutput voltage V_(out) is a substantially DC voltage.

The switching regulator also includes a controller 424, a PMOS driver426 and an LDMOS driver 428 for controlling the operation of theswitching circuit 400. The PMOS driver 426 and the LDMOS driver arecoupled to voltage source 430. A first control line 432 connects thePMOS transistor 414 to the PMOS driver 426, and a second control line434 connects the LDMOS transistor 416 to the LDMOS driver 428. The PMOSand NMOS drivers are connected to the controller 424 by control lines436 and 438, respectively. The controller 424 causes the switchingcircuit 400 to alternate between PMOS and LDMOS conduction periods so asto generate an intermediate voltage V_(int) at the intermediate terminal412 that has a rectangular waveform. The controller 424 can also includea feedback circuit (not shown), which measures the output voltage andthe current passing through the output terminal. Although the controller424 is typically a pulse width modulator, the invention is alsoapplicable to other modulation schemes, such as pulse frequencymodulation.

Although the switching regulator discussed above has a buck convertertopology, the invention is also applicable to other voltage regulatortopologies, such as a boost converter or a buck-boost converter, and toRF output amplifiers.

FIG. 5A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the LDMOS transistor416. The LDMOS transistor 416 can be fabricated on a high voltage n-typewell (HV n-well) 500A implanted in a p-type substrate 502. An HV n-wellimplant is typically a deep implant and is generally more lightly dopedrelative to a CMOS n-well. HV n-well 500A can have a retrogradedvertical doping profile. The LDMOS transistor 416 includes a drainregion 504, a source region 506, and a gate 508. The drain region 504includes an n-doped n+ region 510 and an n-doped shallow drain (N-LD)512. The source region 506 includes an n-doped n+ region 514, a p-dopedp+ region 516, and a p-doped P-body 518. The HV n-well 500A, the N-LD512, and the n+ region 510 in drain region 504 are volumes composed ofdoped material. Both the N-LD 512 and the HV n-well 500A have a lowerconcentration of impurities than the n+ regions 510, 514. However,portions at which these volumes overlap have a higher dopingconcentration than the individual volumes separately. A portion 520 thatcontains the overlapping volumes of the n+ region 510, the N-LD 512, andthe HV n-well 500A has the highest doping concentration of all theoverlapping volume portions. A portion 522 that contains the overlappingvolumes of the N-LD 512 and the HV n-well 500A, but not the n+ region510, has a lower doping concentration than portion 520. A portion 524that only includes the HV n-well 500A has a lower doping concentrationthan either portions 520 or 522 because it does not include multipleoverlapping doped volumes. Likewise, the n+ region 514, the p+ region516, and the P-body 518 in source region 506 are volumes (526, 528, and530, respectively) composed of doped material.

Referring to FIG. 5B, the volumes 520-530 can each have a surface areaon the surface 532 of the device. The HV n-well 500A has a surface area534. In the drain region 524, the N-LD 522 has a surface area 536located within the surface area of the HV n-well 500A. The n+ region 510has a surface area 538 located within the surface area 536 of the N-LD.In the source region 506, the P-body 518 has surface area 540 locatedwithin the surface area 534. The n+ region 514 and the p+ region 516have a surface area 542 and 544, respectively, that is located withinthe surface area 540 of the P-body.

FIG. 6 illustrates a process 600 of fabricating a semiconductor device,including an LDMOS transistor, a PMOS transistor with floating operationcapability (i.e., the source of the transistor is not grounded), and anNMOS transistor with floating operation capability, that is compatiblewith a sub-micron CMOS process. Conventional CMOS transistors can alsobe fabricated through process 600.

The process 600 begins with forming a substrate (step 602). Thesubstrate can be a p-type substrate or an n-type substrate. Referring tothe example of FIG. 7A, a semiconductor layer consisting of a p-typesubstrate 502 is formed. An HV n-well 500A-B for the LDMOS transistor,the PMOS transistor with floating operation capability, and NMOStransistor with floating operation capability, is implanted into thesubstrate (step 604). As shown in FIG. 7B, a separate HV n-well 500A canbe implanted for the LDMOS transistor. A CMOS n-well 106 for aconventional PMOS transistor and a CMOS p-well 122 for a conventionalNMOS transistor are implanted into the substrate (step 606) (FIG. 7C). Anon-self aligned P-body 518 for the drain region of the LDMOS transistoris implanted (step 608). As shown in FIG. 7D, the P-body 518 isimplanted into the HV n-well 500A. During step 706, a P-body can also beimplanted for the NMOS transistor with floating operation capability.Referring again to FIG. 7D, a P-body 700 for the NMOS transistor withfloating operation capability is implanted into the HV n-well 500B.

In one implementation, the non-self aligned P-body 518 is implanted intothe HV n-well 500A in two separate steps to allow for a better controlof vertical depth and amount of lateral side diffusion of the P-body.Referring to FIG. 8A, a first P-body implant 802 into the HV n-well 500Alimits the vertical depth of the P-body. The vertical depth of the firstP-body implant 802 controls the vertical doping profile underneath thesource region of the LDMOS transistor, and therefore determines thesource-to-substrate punch-through breakdown voltage BV_(s) _(—) _(sub)of the LDMOS transistor. The first P-body implant can be a high energyimplant. In one implementation, the first P-body implant 802 isimplanted using a large-angle tilt (LAT) implant process. A normal angleimplant tilt is typically 7 degrees. A LAT is typically larger than 7degrees. As shown in FIG. 8B, a second P-body implant 804 is implantedover the first P-body implant 802. The second P-body implant 804controls the channel length. The second P-body implant 804 also sets thesurface concentration of the P-body to control the threshold voltage(V_(t)) of the LDMOS transistor. A subsequent P-body drive-in andannealing process that limits the amount of the lateral side diffusion806 of the P-body (for further channel length control) is shown in FIG.8C. In one implementation, the subsequent annealing process is a rapidthermal anneal (RTA) process.

The gate oxide for each of the LDMOS transistor, the PMOS transistorwith floating operation capability, and the NMOS transistor withfloating operation capability, and the conventional CMOS transistors, isformed (step 610). The gate oxide for the LDMOS transistor can be formedat the same time as a gate oxide of the conventional CMOS transistors.The LDMOS transistor can, therefore, have a similar threshold voltageand gate oxide thickness and as the conventional CMOS transistors, andcan be driven directly by conventional CMOS logic circuits.Alternatively, the gate oxide of the LDMOS transistor can formed at adifferent time than the gate oxide of the conventional CMOS transistorsto allow the LDMOS transistor to be implemented with a dedicated thickgate oxide. When implemented with a thick gate oxide, the LDMOStransistor allows for higher gate drive in applications where a lowervoltage power supply may not be readily available. This flexibilityallows for optimization of the LDMOS transistor depending on specificrequirements of a power delivery application, such as efficiency targetsat a particular frequency of operation. Referring to the example of FIG.7E, the LDMOS gate oxide 508 is formed on a surface 702 of the substrateover an inner edge 704 of the P-body 518. The gate oxide 524 of the PMOStransistor (with floating operation capability) is formed on the surfaceof the substrate on the HV n-well 500B. The gate oxide 706 of the NMOStransistor (with floating operation capability) is also formed on thesurface of the substrate on the HV n-well 500B. The gate oxide 118 ofthe conventional PMOS transistor is formed on the surface of thesubstrate on the CMOS n-well 106. The gate oxide 134 of the conventionalNMOS transistor is formed on the surface of the substrate on the CMOSp-well 122. A polysilicon layer is deposited over the gate oxide (step510). As shown in FIG. 7F, a polysilicon layer 708A-C is deposited overthe LDMOS gate oxide 508, the PMOS gate oxide 524, the NMOS gate oxide706, respectively. A polysilicon layer 120 is deposited over theconventional PMOS gate oxide 118, and a polysilicon layer 136 isdeposited over the conventional NMOS gate oxide 134.

A shallow drain is implanted and diffused into the drain of the LDMOStransistor (step 614). The shallow drain can be implanted before orafter the LDMOS gate is formed—i.e., the shallow drain can be non-selfaligned or self aligned with respect to the LDMOS gate. The shallowdrain can be implanted through a LAT implant or a normal angle tiltimplant. In the example of FIG. 7G, the shallow drain is the n-dopedshallow drain N-LD 512. The shallow drain implant N-LD 512 has a spacing707 from the P-body implant that is controlled by masked gatedimensions. The spacing 707 can be sized such that that the W-LD 512implant extends a predetermined distance d from the LDMOS gate as shownin FIG. 9. The predetermined distance d can be controlled by maskdimensions. In one implementation, the N-LD implant shares the same maskas the HV n-well to reduce the mask count. Such an approach is possibleif the doping concentration of N-LD is lighter than the P-body so thatthe extra N-LD implant into the source of the LDMOS transistor does notaffect the channel characteristics.

The n+ regions and p+ regions of the LDMOS transistor, the PMOStransistor with floating operation capability, and the NMOS transistorwith floating operation capability, and the conventional CMOStransistors, are implanted (step 616). As shown in FIG. 7H, the p+regions 526 and 528 are implanted at the drain and source, respectively,of the PMOS transistor with floating operation capability. A p+ region516 is also implanted at the source of the LDMOS transistor. The LDMOStransistor also include an n+ region 510 implanted at the drain and ann+ region 514 implanted at the source. The n+ regions 710 and 712 areimplanted at the drain and source, respectively, of the NMOS transistorwith floating operation capability. P+ regions 112, 114, are implantedat the source and drain, respectively, of the conventional PMOStransistor. N+ regions 128, 130 are implanted at the source and drainregions, respectively, of the conventional NMOS transistor. P+ regions526, 528, 516, 112, 114 and n+ regions 510, 514, 710, 712, 128, 130 canbe formed through a 3 step process as described above in connection witha submicron CMOS process.

The process 600 provides several potential advantages. First, the P-bodyof the LDMOS transistor is implanted and diffused prior to formation ofthe gate oxide of the conventional CMOS transistors. The thermal cycleassociated with the P-body implant therefore does not substantiallyaffect the fixed thermal budget associated with sub-micron CMOS processsteps (e.g., process step 206). Second, any channel length variation dueto misalignment of the P-body 518 and n+ region 514 can be mitigated bya greater critical dimension (CD) control of the process 600.

Also, PMOS transistors are typically formed on a conventional CMOSn-well. In applications where a shift in threshold voltages of CMOStransistors is tolerable, a PMOS transistor can be directly implementedin an HV n-well, such as the PMOS transistor with floating operationcapability in the example of FIG. 7H. Implementing a PMOS transistordirectly in an HV n-well has the advantage of allowing the process 600to skip a conventional CMOS n-well implant and masking step (whilemaintaining its thermal cycle), thereby potentially lowering the overallprocess manufacturing cost.

FIGS. 10A and 10B shows a graph of current conductance as a function ofvoltage difference between the drain and source of a PMOS transistorimplemented in an HV n-well and a conventional CMOS n-well,respectively.

As a PMOS transistor can be directly implemented in the HV n-well, anNMOS transistor can similarly be implemented within a P-body implant,such as the NMOS transistor with floating operation capability in theexample of FIG. 7H. A conventional sub-micron CMOS process can thereforeskip a conventional CMOS P-well implant and masking step (whilemaintaining its thermal cycle) to lower the overall process manufacturecost.

FIGS. 11A and 11B shows experimental data of a 3.3V NMOS transistorfabricated in a P-body implant and a 3.3V NMOS transistor fabricated ina conventional P-well, respectively.

FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative process 1200 of fabricating an LDMOStransistor that is compatible with a typical sub-micron CMOS process.

The process 1200 begins with forming a substrate (step 1202). Thesubstrate can be a p-type substrate or an n-type substrate. Referring tothe example of FIG. 13A, a semiconductor layer consisting of a p-typesubstrate 1302 is formed. An HV n-well for the LDMOS transistor isimplanted into the substrate (step 1204). The implanted well can be anHV (high voltage) n-well, such as HV n-well 1304 (FIG. 13B). A CMOSn-well 106 for a conventional PMOS transistor and a CMOS p-well 122 fora conventional NMOS transistor are implanted into the substrate (step1206) (FIG. 13C). An LDMOS gate oxide and polysilicon is formed for theLDMOS transistor (step 1208) The LDMOS gate oxide and polysilicon isdistinct from the gate oxide and polysilicon of the conventional CMOStransistors (step 1208)—i.e., the gate of the LDMOS transistor is formedseparate from and prior to the formation of the gate of the conventionalCMOS transistors being fabricated at the same time. Referring to theexample of FIG. 13D, the LDMOS gate oxide 1306 is formed on the surface1308 of the substrate on the HV n-well 1304, and a polysilicon layer1310 is deposited over the LDMOS gate oxide.

A self aligned P-body 1312 (with respect to the gate of the LDMOStransistor) for the drain region of the LDMOS transistor is implanted(step 1210). As shown in FIG. 13E, the P-body 1312 is implanted into theHV n-well 1304. The self aligned P-body 1312 can be implanted into theHV n-well in two steps, as discussed above, to allow for a bettercontrol of the vertical depth and the amount of lateral side diffusionof the P-body. The P-body drive-in and annealing process can occur priorto, for example, formation of the gate oxide of the conventional CMOStransistors such that a redesign of the thermal cycle allocated tosub-micron CMOS processes (e.g., process step 206) is not required.

The gate of the conventional CMOS transistors is formed (step 1212).Referring to FIG. 13F, the gate oxide 118 of the conventional PMOStransistor is formed on the surface of the substrate on the CMOS n-well106, and the gate oxide 134 of the conventional NMOS transistor isformed on the surface of the substrate on the CMOS p-well 122. Apolysilicon layer 120 is deposited over the conventional PMOS gate oxide118, and a polysilicon layer 136 is deposited over the conventional NMOSgate oxide 134. A shallow drain is implanted and diffused into the drainof the LDMOS transistor (step 1214). The shallow drain can be non-selfaligned or self aligned. In the example of FIG. 13G the shallow drain isthe n-doped shallow drain N-LD 1314. The N-LD implant can share the samemask as the HV n-well to reduce the mask count. The n+ regions and p+regions of the LDMOS transistor are implanted (step 1216). In oneimplementation, during this step, n+ and p+ regions associated with theCMOS transistors are also implanted. As shown in FIG. 13H, a p+ region1416 and an n+ region 1418 are implanted at the source of the LDMOStransistor. An n+ region 1420 is also implanted at the drain of theLDMOS transistor. Further, p+ regions 112, 114, are implanted at thesource and drain, respectively, of the conventional PMOS transistor, andn+ regions 128, 130 are implanted at the source and drain regions,respectively, of the conventional NMOS transistor. As in process 600,formation of the p+ regions and the n+ regions can occur through a 3step process as described above in connection with a sub-micron CMOSprocess.

LDMOS Transistor Performance

The three-way performance tradeoff between the on-resistance R_(dson),the drain-to-substrate breakdown voltage BV_(d) _(—) _(s), and thesource-to-substrate punch-through breakdown voltage BV_(s) _(—) _(sub)of an LDMOS transistor can be improved by using a triple diffusion(N+/N−LD/HV n-well) drain structure that can be fabricated through aprocess compatible with a typical sub-micron CMOS process.

LDMOS transistors can be fabricated on a common HV n-well. A main designrequirement of the common HV n-well is to provide an optimized verticaldoping profile to achieve the highest drain-to-substrate breakdownvoltage BV_(d) _(—) _(sub) and source-to-substrate punch-throughbreakdown voltage BV_(s) _(—) _(sub) as required among all LDMOStransistors being fabricated. For a high voltage LDMOS transistor—e.g.,greater than 30V—the HV n-well is generally deeper and lighter dopedthan a regular (conventional) n-well for the CMOS transistor. Since theHV n-well is implanted at the beginning of the processes 600, 1200, itsformation has no impact on fixed thermal budgets (that have beenoptimized for the mass production of sub-micron CMOS devices) allocatedto sub-micron CMOS processes. An extra drive-in for the HV n-well can beaccommodated if a co-drive-in with a CMOS n-well is not sufficient.Generally, a deep HV n-well with retrograded vertical doping profileoffers the best drain-to-substrate breakdown voltage BV_(d) _(—) _(sub)and source-to-substrate punch-through breakdown voltage BV_(s) _(—)_(sub) performances.

The shallow self aligned diffused drain implant and diffusion (N-LD 512)has a spacing from the P-body implant that is controlled by masked gatedimensions. A main design requirement of the N-LD is to achieve anoptimized lateral doping profile to achieve the best performancetradeoff between the on-resistance R_(dson) and the drain-to-substratebreakdown voltage BV_(d) _(—) _(sub) of the LDMOS transistor. Since theN-LD is a shallow diffusion, it has little impact on the vertical dopingprofile of the LDMOS transistor, and therefore, has little impact on thedrain-to-substrate breakdown voltage BV_(d) _(—) _(sub) andsource-to-substrate breakdown voltage BV_(s) _(—) _(sub) characteristicsof the transistor. The spacing of the N-LD implant from the P-bodyallows for a better control of the drain-to-substrate breakdown voltageBV_(d) _(—) _(sub) by lowering the doping levels at the boundary of theHV n-well/P-body junction. Moreover, such a spacing results in improvedhot carrier injection (HCI) stability of the LDMOS transistor.Generally, a graded lateral doping profile in the drain region of theLDMOS transistor (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 7H and 9) offers a betterperformance tradeoff between the on-resistance R_(dson) and thedrain-to-substrate breakdown voltage BV_(d) _(—) _(sub) than a uniformlateral doping profile. A graded lateral doping profile can be achievedby using a large-angel tilt (LAT) N-LD implant. Furthermore, since adeep drive-in is not required for the N-LD implant, the N-LD can be selfaligned to the gate—i.e., implanted after formation of the LDMOS gate,including gates of the CMOS transistors. Therefore, the addition of theN-LD implant has substantially no impact on fixed thermal budgetsassociated with CMOS process steps (e.g., process step 206).

The above description describes LDMOS transistors having varieddrain-to-substrate breakdown voltage BV_(d) _(—) _(sub) ratings that canbe fabricated in processes compatible with a typical sub-micron CMOSprocess.

The following description describes alternative examples of LDMOStransistors that can be fabricated through processes, such as processes600, 1200, that are compatible with a sub-micron CMOS process.

CMOS n-Well as HV n-Well

An interesting feature of conventional low voltage CMOStransistors—e.g., 3.3V to 5V—fabricated within a sub-micron CMOS processis that the sub-micron CMOS process typically includes implanting a CMOSn-well having a breakdown voltage around 30V. For LDMOS transistorsdesigned for applications of a medium voltage range (e.g., 5V to 25V),these LDMOS transistors can be fabricated on a regular CMOS n-well, thuseliminating a separate HV n-well implant and masking step—i.e., steps604, 1204 of processes 600, 1200, respectively. The remaining steps ofprocesses 600, 1200 can be unaltered.

FIG. 14 shows an example LDMOS transistor 1400 fabricated on a p-typesubstrate 1402 having a CMOS n-well implant 1404 for the LDMOStransistor. The LDMOS transistor 1400 includes a drain region 1406, asource region 1408, and a gate 1410. The drain region 1406 includes ann-doped n+ region 1412 and an n-doped shallow drain (N-LD) 1414. Thesource region 1408 includes an n-doped n+ region 1416, a p-doped p+region 1418, and a p-doped P-body 1420.

CMOS n-Well as N-LD

For LDMOS transistors designed for application in a high voltage range,the HV n-well will typically be much deeper than the regular CMOSn-well. It is therefore possible to substitute the CMOS n-well for theN-LD, thus eliminating the N-LD implant and masking step—i.e., steps614, 1214 of processes 600, 1200, respectively. Therefore, in processes600, 1200 above, a CMOS n-well can be implanted before the gate of theLDMOS transistor is formed, and the CMOS n-well can serve as the shallowdrain and would be non-self aligned with respect to the gate. Theremaining steps of processes 600, 1200 can be unaltered.

FIG. 15 shows an example LDMOS transistor 1500 fabricated on a p-typesubstrate 1502 having a CMOS n-well 1504 as the shallow drain. The LDMOStransistor 1500 has an HV n-well implant 1506 for the transistor. TheLDMOS transistor 1500 includes a drain region 1508, a source region1510, and a gate 1512. The drain region 1508 includes an n-doped n+region 1514 and an n-doped shallow drain (CMOS n-well) 1504. The sourceregion 1510 includes an n-doped n+ region 1516, a p-doped p+ region1518, and a p-doped P-body 1520.

DDD as N-LD

In applications where the sub-micron CMOS process includes fabricationof a DDD (Double Doped Drain) HV-CMOS transistor module, the same DDDimplant can be implemented as the shallow drain of the LDMOS transistorto modulate the resistance of the drain, thus eliminating the N-LDimplant and masking steps 614, 1214 described above. The remaining stepsof processes 600, 1200 can be unaltered. The DDD implant can be selfaligned or non-self aligned with respect to the LDMOS gate. In addition,the DDD implant can have an offset from the P-body implant such that theDDD implant extends a predetermined distance d from the LDMOS gate.

FIG. 16 shows an example LDMOS transistor 1600 fabricated on a p-typesubstrate 1602 having a DDD implant 1604 as the shallow drain. The LDMOStransistor 1600 has a CMOS n-well implant 1606 for the transistor. TheLDMOS transistor 1600 includes a drain region 1608, a source region1610, and a gate 1612. The drain region 1608 includes an n-doped n+region 1614 and an n-doped shallow drain (CMOS n-well) 1604. The sourceregion 1610 includes an n-doped n+ region 1616, a p-doped p+ region1618, and a p-doped P-body 1620.

LDD as N-LD

In a conventional sub-micron CMOS process, a LDD (Lightly Doped Drain)implant and spacer formation step can be introduced to improve NMOStransistor ruggedness against hot electron degradation. In oneimplementation, the LDD implant can be used as the shallow drain for theLDMOS transistor, thus eliminating the N-LD implant and masking steps614, 1214 of processes 600, 1200, respectively. The remaining steps ofprocesses 600, 1200 can be unaltered.

FIG. 17 shows an example of an LDMOS transistor 1700 fabricated on ap-type substrate 1702 having an LDD 1704, 1706 diffused into the sourceregion 1708 and drain region 1710, respectively of the LDMOS transistor.The LDMOS transistor 1700 has an HV n-well implant 1712 for the LDMOStransistor. The LDMOS transistor also includes a gate 1714. The drainregion 1710 further includes an n-doped n+ region 1716. The sourceregion 1708 also includes an n-doped n+ region 1718, a p-doped p+ region1720, and a p-doped P-body 1722.

N-LD Implant Defined by N+ Slit Mask

In one implementation, a graded shallow drain surface implant isachieved by utilizing a slit mask to create multiple standard n+implants spaced apart relative to each other along the surface of theLDMOS transistor in the drain region, thus eliminating the N-LD implantand masking step—i.e., steps 614, 1214 described above. The multiple n+implants in the drain region results in an overall lower doping throughdopant-side diffusion. This implementation is particularly suited forLDMOS transistors with a high breakdown voltage specification. Theremaining steps of processes 600, 1200 can be unaltered.

FIG. 18 illustrates an example of an LDMOS transistor 1800 fabricated ona p-type substrate 1802 having a graded shallow drain surface implant1804. The LDMOS transistor 1800 has an HV n-well implant 1806 for thetransistor. The LDMOS transistor also includes a gate 1808. The drainregion 1810 further includes n-doped n+ regions 1812. The source region1814 includes an n-doped n+ region 1816, a p-doped p+ region 1818, and ap-doped P-body 1820.

p-Type LDMOS Transistor

A p-type high voltage LDMOS transistor can be fabricated. FIG. 19 showsan example a p-type LDMOS transistor 1900 fabricated on a p-typesubstrate 1902. The LDMOS transistor 1900 has an HV n-well implant 1904for the transistor. The LDMOS transistor also includes a gate 1906. Thedrain region 1908 include a p-doped p+ region 1910 and a p-doped P-body1912. The source region 1914 includes a p-doped p+ region 1916, and ann-doped n+ region 1918.

FIG. 20 shows experimental data of such a p-type LDMOS transistor. Aswith the LDMOS transistor illustrated in FIG. 5A, the p-type LDMOStransistor 1900 is fabricated with a non-self aligned P-body implant1912. More generally, a common feature of the LDMOS transistorsillustrated in FIGS. 14-19 is that the P-body implant is formed prior togate formation of conventional CMOS transistors. This ensures that theLDMOS transistors can be fabricated in a process that is compatible witha sub-micron CMOS process having fixed parameters that have beenoptimized for the mass production of sub-micron CMOS devices.

The availability of complementary p-type LDMOS transistor simplifies thedesign of level shift circuits. The p-type LDMOS transistor, as witheach of the LDMOS transistors described above, can be implemented witheither a thick or thin gate oxide. Referring again to FIG. 19, thep-type LDMOS transistor 1900 is implemented with a thick gate oxide1920. For example, when an LDMOS transistor, such as LDMOS transistor416 (FIG. 5A) is implemented with a high voltage gate—i.e., a gate witha thick gate oxide—a standard high-side p-type transistor (e.g., a PMOStransistor) can be implemented within a switching regulator circuit,thus obviating a need for high-side gate drive considerations. Such anapproach results in a hybrid switching regulator, with a low-side LDMOStransistor and a high-side PMOS transistor that minimizes dynamiccapacitive losses associated with a high-side PMOS pull-up transistor,as illustrated in the switching regulator 400 of FIG. 4. The low-sideLDMOS transistor can have an optimized on-resistance R_(dson) (thin orthick gate oxide). The high-side PMOS transistor can be designed suchthat dynamic capacitive losses typically associated with high-side PMOSpull-up transistors is minimized. In typical DC-DC conversionapplications, in which the conduction duty of the high-side switch isrelatively low, the on-resistance R_(dson) of the high-side transistoris a secondary consideration.

FIG. 21 illustrates a non-hybrid switching regulator 2100 having aswitching circuit 2102 that includes a high-side LDMOS transistor 2104and a low-side LDMOS transistor 2106. The LDMOS transistors 2104, 2106can be fabricated through process 600 or 1200. The switching regulator2100 operates in similar fashion to the switching regulator 400 (FIG.4). However, the switching regulator 2100 includes an LDMOS driver 2108to drive the high-side LDMOS transistor 2104. Generally, the LDMOSdriver 2108 cannot be fabricated using conventional CMOS transistors.However, using through processes 600, 1200, the LDMOS driver 2108 can befabricated using PMOS transistors with floating operation capability andNMOS transistors with floating operation capability. LDMOS driver 428can be fabricated using conventional CMOS transistors, or using PMOStransistors with floating operation capability and NMOS transistors withfloating operation capability. Controller 424 is typically fabricatedusing conventional CMOS transistors.

Other Device Structures

NPN Transistor

Generally, only PNP transistors can be fabricated in a typicalsub-micron CMOS process. However, process 600 can be modified to allowfabrication of an NPN transistor. FIG. 22 shows a cross-sectional viewof an example NPN transistor 2200 that can be fabricated through aprocess compatible with a sub-micron CMOS process.

FIG. 23 illustrates a process 2300 for fabricating an PNP transistor,such as PNP transistor 2200. The process 2300 begins with forming asubstrate (step 2302), such as p-type substrate 2202 (FIG. 22). A wellfor the NPN transistor is implanted into the substrate (step 2304). Theimplanted well can be an HV (high voltage) n-well 2204, as shown in theexample of FIG. 22. A non-self aligned P-body is implanted into thesurface of the transistor (step 2306), which is illustrated as P-body2206 in FIG. 22. The n+ regions and p+ regions of the PNP transistor areimplanted (step 2308), such as n+ regions 2208 and 2210, and p+ region2212 (FIG. 22).

FIG. 24 shows experimental I-V characteristics of such a PNP transistor.The availability of complementary NPN and PNP transistors enhances highperformance analog circuit design.

CMOS Transistors with Floating Operation Capability

An NMOS transistor with floating operation capability (i.e., the sourceof the NMOS transistor is not grounded) can be implemented throughprocesses 600, 1200, as described above. Such an NMOS transistor,together with a PMOS transistor fabricated in an HV n-well, allows forthe implementation of high-side drive (HSD) circuits (e.g., LDMOS driver2208) with CMOS transistor logic as shown in FIGS. 25A and 25B.

FIGS. 26A and 26B show experimental data of such CMOS transistors withfloating operation capability.

A number of embodiments of the invention have been described.Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Forexample, although some of the LDMOS transistor structures describedabove do not have LOCOS field oxide (FOX) 2702 on the drain region ofthe devices. The processes described above also apply to LDMOStransistor structures with LOCOS on the drain region of the devices suchas LDMOS transistor 2700 shown in FIG. 27. The devices described abovecan be implemented in general half-bridge or full-bridge circuits, andalso in other power electronics systems.

A common feature of the LDMOS transistors described above is that theP-body implant is formed prior to gate oxide formation of conventionalCMOS transistors to ensure that the LDMOS transistors can be fabricatedin a process that is compatible with a sub-micron CMOS process. Asdiscussed above, in one implementation, the P-body can implanted in twosteps using a first high energy implant and a second implant, followedby a RTA process. The first high energy implant can be implanted using aLAT implant. FIG. 28 shows a process 2800 for implanting the P-bodywithout substantially disturbing the CMOS process thermal cycle. Thesecond implant (step 2806), or both the high energy implant (step 2802)and second implant, can occur after gate formation of CMOS transistors(step 2804). The second implant is followed by a RTA process (step2808). The RTA process is implemented with a short duration of time andat temperatures such that thermal cycles allocated to fabricatingsub-micron CMOS transistors are substantially unaffected. As discussedabove, an LDMOS transistor can be fabricated on an n-type substrate. Insuch an implementation, an SOI (silicon-on-insulator) insulation layercan be deposited (or grown) on the n-type substrate. A p-well for theLDMOS transistor and CMOS transistors can then be implanted. The processsteps following formation of the substrate in processes 600, 1200 canthen occur.

Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the followingclaims.

1. A method of fabricating an LDMOS transistor and a conventional CMOStransistor together on a substrate, the method comprising: forming agate for the LDMOS transistor, including forming an LDMOS gate oxide andcovering the LDMOS gate oxide with a conductive material; after formingthe LDMOS gate oxide, implanting, into a source region of the LDMOStransistor, a P-body, the P-body being self aligned with respect to thegate of the LDMOS transistor; and forming a gate for the conventionalCMOS transistor, including forming a gate oxide of the conventional CMOStransistor after implanting the P-body and covering the gate oxide ofthe conventional CMOS transistor with a conductive material, wherein thegate of the conventional CMOS transistor is formed distinct from thegate of the LDMOS transistor.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein athickness of the LDMOS gate oxide is similar to a thickness of the gateoxide of the conventional CMOS transistor.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein a thickness of the LDMOS gate oxide is greater than a thicknessof the gate oxide of the conventional CMOS transistor.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the conventional CMOS transistor is a conventional PMOStransistor or a conventional NMOS transistor.
 5. The method of claim 1,further comprising implanting of an HV n-well and a CMOS n-well beforeforming the gate for the LDMOS transistor.
 6. The method of claim 1,further comprising implanting n⁺ regions and p⁺ regions of the LDMOStransistor and conventional CMOS transistor after forming a gate oxideof the gate of the conventional CMOS transistor.
 7. The method of claim1, wherein gates of a plurality of conventional CMOS transistors arefabricated at the same time.